After the end of World War 1, Germany established a republican government called the Weimar Republic to replace the German Empire. However, because it was created in a time of chaos after Germany had lost the World War, the Weimar Republic experienced many problems from the start, including economic disarray and violent uprisings from various groups. In June of 1919, Germany also had to accept the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which reassigned German boundaries and forced Germany to make reparations for starting the war. The continuous violence and unrest challenged the Weimar Republic socially, politically, and economically. Many German Expressionists, such as Otto Dix, Käthe Kollwitz, and George Grosz have depicted early problems in
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Otto Dix volunteered to go to war in 1914 and returned in 1918 with knowledge of the brutality of war. His artworks, including The War, which is a portfolio of fifty graphic etchings, does not glorify World War 1 but instead shows the realities of what it was like to be there. For example, in Corpse in Barbed Wire from The War, Otto Dix used etching and aquatint mediums to heighten emotions and show the horrors of war. Everything is in black and white, making the artwork seem very dark. The ghastly white skull of the corpse stands out from the rest of the etching, which adds shock value because it shows how finding a fallen soldier is like finding a corpse in the trenches. Otto Dix also draws a corpse to show a wounded soldier because the corpse represents all the soldiers who have died at war. The corpse does not have any distinct facial features, so it can be any loved one who has left for war. Furthermore, the corpse is rotting, showing the breakdown of humans and of society, both socially and morally. Otto Dix’s artworks shows how German citizens felt at the homefront. For the mothers and children who have lost a family member or relative, the war did not bring glory. Instead, it brought pain and fear, which is depicted in Otto Dix’s Corpse in Barbed …show more content…
In Käthe Kollwitz’s portfolio War, published in 1924, there are many woodcuts showing themes of pacifism, sacrifice, and mourning. Two examples of artworks from her portfolio that show suffering caused by war include The Parents and The Widow II. The Parents show the sorrow of parents who lost a child in war, much like Käthe Kollwitz herself, whose son, Peter, died in combat in 1914. The Widow II is a woodcut of a dead war widow and her child. This woodcut shows the suffering of many Germans after the war because rising inflation demolished buying power, which led to a starving populace. The German mark decreased significantly in value; by November of 1923, a single U.S. dollar was equal to 4.2 trillion marks. Many civilians suffered financial ruin, much like the subjects of The Widow II, who were victims of mass starvation. The two woodcuts have simple figures and Käthe Kollwitz leaves a lot of black space in her carvings. This darkness shows the pain that many Germans experienced after the war. Käthe Kollwitz noted in her diary, “Pain is completely dark.” The subjects in The Parents are cut in a way in which they almost look like silhouettes because their bodies are left black and their faces are covered. This darkness shows their sorrow and grief. In The Widow II, the mother and child lie on the ground and
Otto Dix volunteered to go to war in 1914 and returned in 1918 with knowledge of the brutality of war. His artworks, including The War, which is a portfolio of fifty graphic etchings, does not glorify World War 1 but instead shows the realities of what it was like to be there. For example, in Corpse in Barbed Wire from The War, Otto Dix used etching and aquatint mediums to heighten emotions and show the horrors of war. Everything is in black and white, making the artwork seem very dark. The ghastly white skull of the corpse stands out from the rest of the etching, which adds shock value because it shows how finding a fallen soldier is like finding a corpse in the trenches. Otto Dix also draws a corpse to show a wounded soldier because the corpse represents all the soldiers who have died at war. The corpse does not have any distinct facial features, so it can be any loved one who has left for war. Furthermore, the corpse is rotting, showing the breakdown of humans and of society, both socially and morally. Otto Dix’s artworks shows how German citizens felt at the homefront. For the mothers and children who have lost a family member or relative, the war did not bring glory. Instead, it brought pain and fear, which is depicted in Otto Dix’s Corpse in Barbed …show more content…
In Käthe Kollwitz’s portfolio War, published in 1924, there are many woodcuts showing themes of pacifism, sacrifice, and mourning. Two examples of artworks from her portfolio that show suffering caused by war include The Parents and The Widow II. The Parents show the sorrow of parents who lost a child in war, much like Käthe Kollwitz herself, whose son, Peter, died in combat in 1914. The Widow II is a woodcut of a dead war widow and her child. This woodcut shows the suffering of many Germans after the war because rising inflation demolished buying power, which led to a starving populace. The German mark decreased significantly in value; by November of 1923, a single U.S. dollar was equal to 4.2 trillion marks. Many civilians suffered financial ruin, much like the subjects of The Widow II, who were victims of mass starvation. The two woodcuts have simple figures and Käthe Kollwitz leaves a lot of black space in her carvings. This darkness shows the pain that many Germans experienced after the war. Käthe Kollwitz noted in her diary, “Pain is completely dark.” The subjects in The Parents are cut in a way in which they almost look like silhouettes because their bodies are left black and their faces are covered. This darkness shows their sorrow and grief. In The Widow II, the mother and child lie on the ground and